Dr Karla O’Neill at work in the lab
Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast have made an “important discovery” that shows cells produced in the human body can be used to repair damaged blood vessels.
The research, funded by the charity British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland and published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, could open the door to new ways to treat heart attack and stroke victims.
The Belfast-based scientists discovered that increasing levels of a protein, known as NOX4, in a specific type of blood cell can increase the formation of new blood vessels.
The newly discovered process could be used to treat “many conditions associated with decreased blood delivery in key organs”, including heart failure after a heart attack, diabetes, and some types of stroke, the British Heart Foundation said.
Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast have made an “important discovery” that shows cells produced in the human body can be used to repair damaged blood vessels.
The research, funded by the charity British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland and published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, could open the door to new ways to treat heart attack and stroke victims.
The Belfast-based scientists discovered that increasing levels of a protein, known as NOX4, in a specific type of blood cell can increase the formation of new blood vessels.
The newly discovered process could be used to treat “many conditions associated with decreased blood delivery in key organs”, including heart failure after a heart attack, diabetes, and some types of stroke, the British Heart Foundation said.
By: Niall Deeney for News Letter UK
